Mark Jackson this morning: On Bob Myers’ 7th place EOY finish, David Lee’s status, and his own contract

* Tremendous detailed look by Grantland’s Zach Lowe at how the Warriors’ offense has mutated as Stephen Curry has elevated his game to a point where NBA defenses almost cannot follow–and some analysis of how this has happened without David Lee. I know, DLee fans will accuse it of horrible terrible bias and say it’s vitriol, but read that one and read my immediately-hated piece and if you think this is vitriol I’m not sure you know the definition of the word; or much about what wins basketball games.

To sum up: Jackson added GM Bob Myers’ 7th-place finish in the NBA Executive of the Year voting to his own 7th-place finish and many other GSW low-finishes in the year-end awards race to raise the issue of the Warriors not getting respect as a team.

He also was asked and talked about why he thought the Warriors was a good job in the first place, why he and the ownership group have so much trust in each other, and, I thought it seemed natural, to the state of his contract beyond next season (his last guaranteed).

The Warriors confirmed Jackson has next year guaranteed plus a team option for 2014-15. Given this triumphant season–which has fulfilled everything Joe Lacob believed about his hand-picked coach–I believe the Warriors will pick up that option soon after this season, then start discussions for a longer-team deal to keep Jackson here for a long time.

He wants it, Lacob and the front office want it, and there’s no reason to think there are any serious roadblocks to that. Just no talks about it yet; they’re in a playoff run, it’s understandable things will get tabled until July or later.

-Q: After Games 1 and 2, do you make any adjustments or do you wait to see what Popovich will do, since he’ll probably be making some himself and then adjust to those?

-JACKSON: The adjustment obviously to me is who they start, which way they go. Other than that, all season long our adjustments have been when we didn’t do what we were supposed to do.

We believe our adjustments are to play harder, play smarter. We got into trouble when we didn’t take care of the basketball, when we we didn’t rebound, when we didn’t defend at our level.

When we do those things, we put ourselves to win the ballgame. When we don’t, we have problems. So typically our adjustments are doing the things we’ve preached about from Day 1.

-Q: What’s the No. 1 thing you think you need to improve from those two games?

-JACKSON: I think in both games they put a run together where we didn’t take care of the basketball and where they got it going in transition, whether it be for layups or for open shots.

In Game 2 it didn’t hurt us as much because we re-grouped and did a better job of taking care of the ball.

And then rebounding; Kawhi Leonard, I believe 7 offensive rebounds, kept the ball alive on other occasions–offensive rebounds, that hurt us.

-Q: Is Leonard getting a freer run to the rim because of the way you’re matching up?

-JACKSON: He’s a very good rebounder–his athleticism, his length.

At times the match-ups, there’s a smaller guy on him. That’s no excuse for us because we believe in gang rebounding, so all five guys have a responsibility to close out a possession by securing the ball.

-Q: There’s lots of late-changes in the starting line-up…

-JACKSON: For us, if David Lee was healthy, you know our starting five.

-Q: You guys seem to be adjusting the lineups based on each other’s lineup…

I don’t think he’s made any adjustments based on who we’re starting. I think it’s been, we’ve made the adjustment. If David Lee was healthy, you know our starting five.

The problem is who we’re facing and who’s starting, we make the adjustments on that. That’s not really what’s going to be important; our mission remains the same and what allows us to have success remains the same and what gets us in trouble remains the same.

-Q: Are you closer to being able to say that David Lee can get minutes in these next set of games?

-JACKSON: It’s really a read. Watched him again yesterday, had a very good workout. There are things he can do on the floor. He’s looking better and better.

I think the longer time we give him to physically… he’s not going to be right, but to get close to right… is better. So I think if it was closing out Game 1 today with Klay fouling out, it’d be an easy call to go with David down the stretch. Today.

-Q: You warned your guys before the home games against Denver that they can’t just depend on the home crowd for a win. How do you think they dealt with that? Is that gone as a worry?

-JACKSON: No, it’s not a worry. But truth be told, veteran teams fall into that trap.

I think we have tremendous respect for the San Antonio Spurs, we know they are more than capable of coming into this building or any other building and winning a ballgame.

This is a heavyweight battle, so it’s important for us to come with the right mindset and I’m sure we will do that.

-Q: Do you think you deserved more support in the Coach of the Year voting?

-JACKSON: Congratulations to George Karl, well deserved. I don’t do this for individual awards or recognition. This is a players’ league and I’m awfully proud of my guys and what they’ve been able to do.

-Q: But you tied Bob Myers, at least. (Who finished 7th in the NBA Executive of the Year vote. The vote is by a panel of 30 team executives.)
-JACKSON: Now I will comment on that. That’s a joke. That’s a joke.

When you talk about three home runs in the draft, when you talk about trading for Jarrett Jack and you’re talking about signing Carl Landry, I mean…

I’m not Coach of the Year, but you’ve got to point the finger to something. If I’m not Coach of the Year, which I say I’m not, and Steph Curry’s not an All-Star, and Harrison Barnes is not 1st Team All Rookie, and Jarrett Jack is not the Sixth Man of the Year, then who’s going to get the credit? That’s all I’m asking.

-Q: Are you telling your guys that–no one’s recognizing us?

-JACKSON: No, ’cause it doesn’t matter. We didn’t do it to chase it, but it’s my job to bring it to light. I’m watching these guys every day. It’s just… I mean it makes no sense to me.

-Q: So the executives voting for this are just as bad as the media voting?

-JACKSON: That’s what’s shocking to me. I can understand the media vote–whether it be a local guy or a guy I like or dislike.

These are executives voting amongst each other and if you cannot recognize the job that Bob Myers and this organization has done in putting this team together, then you shouldn’t have a vote. You should not have a vote.

It’s unbelievable to me… I guess I don’t have the influence that some think I do. (Laughs.) I’ve been trying to influence these guys!

-Q: Why did you think the Warriors job was a good one for you?

-JACKSON: I looked at the talent, I looked at the fan base, I looked at the passion of the ownership, in Joe and Peter, I looked at the management group. And they took a chance on me.

I would not have accepted any job. I just thought that this was a home-run job because of the potential of it.

And quite honestly, I prayed about it. And this was the place.

-Q: They haven’t sustained success here. Did you have concerns that even if you started winning, you couldn’t sustain it?

-JACKSON: No, the reason why… I just believed that this was a great place and that this was a different ownership group that was passionate, that was going to do whatever it’d take to put us in position to win. I thought the management group was in sync.

And I wanted to make sure there was going to be a place where–I wasn’t going to be making decisions, but I was going to be heard and I was going to have input with the decisions.

And this was a great place–that puts us in position to sustain right now. The future looks awfully bright.

-Q: When Joe and Peter talked to you, how did they sell you on it?

-JACKSON: By saying the job was mine. (Laughs.) When I think about it, for them to take a chance on me, really put a stamp on what I thought about them.

They wanted to go outside the box and it showed it wasn’t going to be the norm. And I’m extremely grateful, because they very well could’ve–not just in giving me the job, but we won 23 games last year.

I went through stuff that happened 7 years ago, and they didn’t quit on me; they knew who I was and who I am. And I’m a guy that believes the Bible says I’ll bless who blessed you and I’ll curse who cursed you. And these guys blessed me by trusting who I was and I’m thankful.

-Q: Have there been any contract extension talks between you and the front office or ownership?

-JACKSON: No. That I’m aware of.

-Q: Should there be?

-JACKSON: I’m not even concerned about that. That’s going to take care of itself. God’s been too good to me to worry about any of that small stuff.

-Q: You’ve got one more year plus an option?

-JACKSON: You’ve got to check that. In my mind, I’ve got one.

-Q: Nothing after that?

[—-MY CLARIFICATION: The Warriors confirmed that Jackson has another season guaranteed and then a team option for 2014-2015.]

-JACKSON: Quite honestly, I’m not concerned about that and I never was.